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Pollution from coal-fired power plants significantly reduces the efficiency of solar photovoltaic (PV) installations, a study led by the University of Oxford and University College London (UCL) has revealed.
Joshua Neil
Published 18th May 2026
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The study found that aerosols thrown into the air by coal-burning reduced global solar electricity output by 5.8% in 2023, equivalent to 111 terawatt-hours (TWh) of lost energy. 
The Oxford and UCL study, published on 15 May in the journal Nature Sustainability, mapped and assessed more than 140,000 solar PV installations using satellite data. It combined these findings with atmospheric data on air pollution, determining the amount of sunlight lost and its effect on electricity generation. 
Between 2017 and 2023, new PV installations across the globe increased electricity production by around 247 TWh each year. Aerosol-related losses from this amount were around 74 TWh annually, representing around a third of solar’s total electricity production.
“We are seeing rapid global expansion of renewable energy, but the effectiveness of that transition is lower than often assumed,” explained lead author Dr Rui Song. “As coal and solar expand in parallel, emissions alter the radiation environment, directly undermining the performance of solar generation.”
“Air pollution doesn’t just block sunlight – it also changes clouds, which can cut solar power even further. That means the real impact is likely to be bigger than we’ve measured, so we may be overestimating how much solar power can contribute to reducing emissions if we do not get pollution from coal power under control.”
A spotlight on China
The study found that the loss was greatest where solar and coal capacity exist in close proximity, which is why the effect was particularly marked in China. Though China is the world’s largest solar producer, adding 329 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity in 2024 alone, the nation still continues to rely heavily on coal as well.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), one in every four tonnes of coal used globally is burned to generate electricity in China.

Here, the loss of electricity production to aerosols was around 7.7% of the total, with around 29% of aerosol-related solar PV losses in the country coming specifically from coal-fired power plants.
China was, however, the region showing the greatest sustained improvement in this regard. Aerosol-related solar PV losses declined by around 0.96 TWh each year between 2013 and 2023, probably due to stricter emissions standards and the adoption of ultra-low-emission technologies within coal plants.
“Our findings send a clear warning to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): overlooking pollution-induced solar energy losses can lead to a systematic overestimation of renewable energy output by governments, businesses and the broader community,” said co-author Dr Chenchen Huang, from the University of Bath. “To stay on track, policies must account for this hidden drag and shift fossil-fuel subsidies away from coal.
Related article: UK’s Last Coal Power Station Closes, Marking Historic Shift
Words Joshua Neil
Published 18th May 2026
© Faversham House Ltd 2026 edie news articles may be copied or forwarded for individual use only. No other reproduction or distribution is permitted without prior written consent.
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